The unebearable choices of living

When do you decide that you can live in a place? When do you leave the "this feels like home" behind and go for a place that is ok, but missing at least one of the things you'd like to have if you could--that nice kitchen, the really lovely flat mates that you just clicked with, the perfect location, the stunning room, the price that allows for plenty of fun ... Is it after a week? When you start work? When you're desperate for internet so you can download more Top Gear episodes? At flat no 20? Is it when you run out of shampoo and have to get a new, full, heavy bottle if you want that good but affordable stuff that Boots has on sale? Those are the questions I am asking myself in the afternoons, while at the same time contemplating how many groceries I am willing to buy, or can possibly eat before the weekend, so I don't have to carry them. Do I go for the place that it makes sense to go for (but that my gut doesn't like, for some unknown reason) or do I wait for the weekend and the people who are not home yet but would love to show me their flat once they're back? I got the shampoo (although I wasn't at Boots, and it wasn't on sale) and I didn't compromise--yet. Tomorrow will show if I feel I have to, or wait my nerves out for the (more) perfect combination of factors that make a place "home".

Back in the so-called 'real world'

Just a quick update--I have not vanished; however, as I returned to Norway for a week only, most of my energy was absorbed by the general concepts of Christmas, family, New Year's and moving to another country...

I am currently in Edinburgh, Scotland, where I will be living for 6 months. The city is undoubtedly lovely, people are friendly, and work seems very promising! I work at a unit for young people experiencing a first episode of psychosis at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital--very exciting. I am currently staying in Budget Backpackers in central Edinburgh, awaiting to find the perfect room in a flat; in the meantime I try to enjoy myself as much as I can.

[More notes about my life here in Scotland should follow.]

Photos from Japan

Ironically, after so long without photos to show you, photos is all I can get on within a reasonable amount of time.. So here goes; my week in Japan!

Fukuoka

The Shinkansen bullet train

This train eventually took me from Fukuoka to Tokyo, then Tokyo--Kyoto, Kyoto--Hiroshima, and finally Hiroshima--Fukuoka.

Downtown Tokyo at night

Temples of Kyoto

Hiroshima

A lovely city; the highlights obviously related to the war history. Photos to come soon.

Big in Japan

Waking up in Korea, thinking I was getting on a bus to somewhere else in Korea, I was ut on a boat from Busan to Fukuoka, Japan... Yes, somethimes these things happen. After 5 hours ow wandering between endless amounts of ATMs, getting rejected yet again, I managed to get 20,000 Yen out of my credit card and the night was saved. More updates to come once I can figure out how to get a steady supply of money, thereby finding time for other activities.

Arriving in Taipei, Taiwan

I just arrived. More updates about Sapa and Hanoi are coming, and Taipei as well--once I get to experience it! For now I'll be looking for food while I wait for Christiaan to get out of the bath tub and find me.

Sapa

As the train pulled in to the station in Lao Cai, I realised that a few months of being tanned and wearing flip-flops had made me forget how cold the world can be. Freezing! The weather was treacherous like a Norwegian spring; warm and sweating in the sun, cold and pleasant in the shade, and then, all of a sudden, chilling you to your bones as the shades turned into evening. The sun rose as the minibus took myself, Holly, Jenny, Kirsty and Emma to the mountain city of Sapa; revealing a stunningly beautiful scenery of rice terraces along the sloped mountain sides.Stumbling into the first decent looking place for breakfast it turned out we were all set if we wanted to; the manager could organise a local guide for a home stay, with profits going back into the community. We decided to go for it--and had two amazing days with Chi, a woman of the Black H'mong tribe, originally from the Lao Chai village (not to be mistaken for the city with train station). We walked there with some of her friends and family, meeting the rest of her family along the way; or at least the women. I saw men every now and then, but in general Vietnam--both in the cities and in the mountains--is a country where I've found myself swarmed by women in most situations. Having a female guide was a pleasant change, and during the trip she answered questions we did not know we should ask, cooked amazing food and had the local hosts (of the Dzao tribe, in another village) serve us multiple shots of "happy water" to keep the the general mood happy. And it was! (Despite the cold...)

Halong Bay

Part of traveling is the transport leg to what you really want to do, getting to know your group of travelers on the road. The bus to Halong Bay included some rather anonymous individuals scattered inbetween a bunch of hung-over guys with pen markings all over themselves; one of which I had met the night before as he ventured into the female dorm to find a toilet in his rather drunken state. As the morning unfolded, his name-brother and friend kept feeding the bus with never-ending random facts. My plan to sleep a bit on the way was made even more difficult by our guide; a British-sounding, Italian-looking beach bum kind of guy--called Stacey. No kidding, a boy named Stacey. He demanded that everyone to tell their name and something about themselves so we could get to know eachother and have fun... That plan stumbled at the second seat already, as people wondered what sort of a name "Tiril" was? Evidently, everyone else had normal names, like Charles, Jenny and Simon. And Stacey. And they thought my name was weirder still. In the end I found myself absolutely squashed between Simon and Stacey as I tried to doze off in my seat, and despite the name-barrier we got to know each other anyway. Arriving in Halong Bay was breathtakingly beautiful--and the place was lovelier the farther away we got from the city. The rugged karst formations seemed to be dotting the water endlessly, with scattered floating houses and fish farms inbetween; small mourings, fancy houses and even more floating homes. I had booked a three-day trip, and the first day was a relaxing one; enjoying the scenery, spotting the kite birds that soared above us every now and then, kayaking, swimming and drinking beer. As the night arrived I got to feel some of the Vietnamese winter, though; freezing in my cabin on the junk (i.e. boat) and huddling up in my woolen long-sleeve! The second day arrived with more lovely, sunny weather--and a total of 5 amazing climbs up the karsts...absolutely amazing! The climbs were easy enought to start with, making it easy to enjoy the view--as the afternoon progressed I felt my fear of heights kick in a bit more as I traversed narrow ridges and lunged for the safe hold I could not see. In the end I fell down enough times to give up the last top, but it was still great fun. The night was spent on Cat Ba Island, before we slowly made our way back to Halong City and the bus to Hanoi the next morning. Feeling somewhat battered most people seemed to head for a bed or a beer--myself, Holly, Jenny and Kirsty found tickets for the sleeper train leaving for Lao Cai (Sapa) the very same night, and hit one of the lovely local reastaurants before catching our sleeping ride up in the mountains.